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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27578257">How to Pavlov Your Boss Into Friendship and Self-Care!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Archival Assistants Chronic need to annoy someone into being their friend, Chocolate, Crack, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Friendship, Happy Ending, Jonathan Sims' Chronic Dumbass Disease, Manipulation, Multi, Pavloving Your Boss, Self Care, Self-Esteem Issues, momentary angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:42:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27578257</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Archival Assistants want to get Jon to start taking care of himself, they use some... unconventional methods. It all works out in the end at least.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Martin Blackwood &amp; Sasha James &amp; Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist &amp; Tim Stoker, implied Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>225</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Friendship starts with three dumbasses and a box of chocolate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ok so I had a funny haha moment one night, and wrote this in thirty minutes with the help of a friend (thank you Senseless Scribbles, you're a wonder :3) Anyway, a Tea Brand Crackfic brought to you by late night dumbassery!</p><p>But then I thought of the angst part... So enjoy &gt;:3</p><p>Socials<br/>Insta: tea_is_not_them<br/>Tumblr: tea-is-not-them<br/>Tiktok: teaisnotthem</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tim looked at the firmly closed door of the Head Archivist’s office. Jon was shut behind the large door made of pretty but old wood, and the three assistants were relaxing on a teadate in the breakroom. He looked at it with a deep frown, and Sasha raised a brow at him.</p>
<p>“Penny for your thoughts?” She asked, taking a sip of her patented-Martin-Tea. </p>
<p>Tim sighed, “Jon needs to come outta there some time. We have been talking more with him but he’s… difficult!”</p>
<p>“Yeah Tim, he’s a workaholic, have you heard that word before?” Martin asks, the teasing bite to his tone was brushed off in favor of Tim pouting.</p>
<p>Sasha laughed, “I know I’m going to regret this, but what do you want to do about that?”</p>
<p>Tim, in all of his master degree intelligence, and people skills, lights up with an idea as if made of oil, and sets aflame, “We could pavlov him.”</p>
<p>“He’s not a dog, Tim!” Martin objects almost immediately, his frown could have shut down a lesser man, but Tim was not one to back down from a challenge, especially one that might work so well on their boss/friend!</p>
<p>He trooped on despite the outright shut-down, “He acts enough like a cat, and that works on them! We could just give him tea when does self-care! Or maybe like his favorite chocolate, you know he likes that awful dark chocolate raspberry stuff Sasha’s grandma makes.”</p>
<p>“It is not awful Tim, it’s delicious and you’re a coward.” Sasha shakes her head, before realizing that her reply was facoused on the wrong bit, “Wait no. We aren’t going to do that to Jon. What if he realizes, he would absolutely kill us.”</p>
<p>“All I’m hearing right now is that you think Jon will notice anything, and you know that he’s perceptive as a bag of bricks.” He says, fanning the slight idea into a lightbulb, if he could convince Sasha, Martin would join in simply because he wouldn’t want things getting too out of hand. Tim also knows full well Martin so wants to join, because anyone can see the way Martin pines from ten miles away.</p>
<p>Sasha elbows him and he almost spills the coffee he had made as a pick-me-up, “Consequences, I know you know what that word means.”</p>
<p>“Nope. Not a clue!” he gives a cheeky grin, “I do, I do, get off my back.. But. Imagine the good consequences, Jon gets better at selfcare, he associates self care with good things, thus also associating good things with us. Win-win-win situation Sasha, you have to be on the same brain level as me right now.”</p>
<p>Tim turns to Martin, “Come on Martin, you know you want to do this. Worst case scenario it doesn’t work.”</p>
<p>“Worst case scenario is Jon finds out you want to use an animal manipulation tactic on him and fires us all.” He whisper-yelled, “And we lose the friendship we already have.”</p>
<p>Tim sighs, looking at the office, before he hears something that makes him perk up, “Yeah alright we can try.” </p>
<p>It’s Sasha who says this.</p>
<p>“Sasha I could kiss you right now.” Tim says with all the seriousness of a man who has just gotten out of jail.</p>
<p>Said woman rolled her eyes, “yeah yeah I know.”</p>
<p>Martin looked at Sasha with a helpless expression, “really Sasha? I thought we agreed this is a terrible idea.”</p>
<p>She tried to look innocent but a smile was breaking across her face, “I have a new batch of his favorite chocolate. We just need someone to provide the tea.”</p>
<p>There was a second, where both Tim and Sasha were looking at Martin with the most emotion they could convey in their horrible heathen eyes, and finally he caves, “Fine! Fine. If we get caught, I’m blaming you two and claiming no involvement in this… this mess!”</p>
<p>“Knew you’d come around Marto! Alright, now we wait.”</p>
<p>“Well what's the plan anyways?” Sasha asked, before Tim cleared his throat as if about to give a college lecture. Fixing the imaginary glasses on his face and giving avery good impression of a stuffy academic. </p>
<p>“I am so glad you asked Ms. James.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>---------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They saw Jon come out of his office a few hours later, and Sasha is already on her feet, acting as if nothing is amiss. She goes to the fridge and grabs some of her Pavlov chocolate, before walking over to Jon. He looked like hell honestly, eyebags bigger than her hair when it rains, and hands slightly shaking. </p>
<p>“Hey Jon!” She casually popped a single chocolate square in her mouth, leaning against the counter casually.</p>
<p>Jon looks up and gives a brief and miniscule smile, “Hello Sasha, break?”</p>
<p>“Nope just wanted a snack, can’t have these in the stacks.” She pointed to the treat in her hands, and Jon nods, looking thankful that someone actually listened to the rules. </p>
<p>He smooths his hair out of his face, “Yes, well. I just needed water actually.”</p>
<p>“Reading those things takes a lot out of your voice huh?” She asks rhetorically, and he nods in agreement, getting some tap water in a mug. </p>
<p>Here we go, she thinks, time to roll baby. </p>
<p>She holds out a square of chocolate, and he looks at it as if it were some foreign space object before carefully taking it, “Uh. Thank you?”</p>
<p>The chocolate was put back in the freezer, and Sasha watched surreptitiously from where she was leaning to put the chocolate back in the minifridge. Jon ate the chocolate, and got a small look of happiness. Check and mate. That worked well enough. Now they just needed to be able to do that every time he came out for a break. </p>
<p> As they watched he made a hasty retreat to his office, Sasha gave them an a-ok hand gesture. Tim pumps his fist in the air, and they go back to their very boring office work.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh hey Jon I was just making tea.” It had taken a lot of convincing for them to get Martin to stop bringing Jon tea in his office, but they had worn him down enough that the only time Jon gets tea is when he comes out for it. </p>
<p>Jon looks up and seems surprised but nods, and takes the tea mug that was offered to him, “Ah thank you.”</p>
<p>“No problem Jon, it’s nice to see you out of your office.” Martin was feeling a bit confident today, making small talk well enough.</p>
<p>He looked up almost confused at Martin's comment before holding the mug with both hands, “Oh, well.” He seems at a loss for words before settling on, “Thank you for the tea, uh. I’ve left some files on your desk, I’ll need the followup by tonight.” </p>
<p>As he retreats they still count it as a victory, because at least he came out of his office. Sasha gave a thumbs up to Martin, who sighed when looking at Jon’s receding form, and the closing of a door. Still he goes back to his seat after handing the other assistants their tea.</p>
<p>“We can’t keep giving him just tea and chocolate, maybe we could try something like a book? A compliment?” Tim says, “it feels too easy, ya know?”</p>
<p>Sasha raises a brow, looking up from her mess of files, “Does he seem like he’d accept a compliment?”</p>
<p>“We could pavlov him into taking a compliment.” Martin mutters, before blinking, “No no. Wait.”</p>
<p>“Great idea Martin!” Tim gives an enthusiastic whoop, “So we give him a compliment, then give him something he likes. Maybe play music he likes when getting the compliment!”</p>
<p>“What music does he like?” Sasha asks, and Martin looks abashed.</p>
<p>“His spotify suggests metal and folk punk.” </p>
<p>Tim looks at Martin bewildered, “You’ve seen his spotify?”</p>
<p>“...maybe.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>----------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You look great today boss!” And a piece of chocolate from an enthusiastic Tim.</p>
<p>A mug of tea, and a murmured word from Martin, “I like that sweater Jon.”</p>
<p>“Your hair looks nice, did you do something with it?” Followed by a salad for lunch, or a signature Sasha smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>By the end of two months they were starting to see Jon more often, out of his office, and --gasp-- taking a break. While he still didn’t look like he had gotten a full nights sleep in literal years, he was starting to look like he ate semi-regularly, which was certainly an improvement to the Tim Burton-esk way he was before. </p>
<p>Phase two was a go -- Operation Lunch Date as Tim so kindly called it-- and they were already on the move. First one of them would ask him to go on lunch break with them, and everytime he said yes they would reward him with A, a compliment, or B getting him something extra. One time he told them that he enjoyed a particular place around the corner, and they had latched onto this information like piranhas. </p>
<p>Honestly they sometimes wondered why they decided to forcefully befriend Jonathan Sims, but then they saw him making a joke, or remembering their coffee orders, tea in Martin’s case, from the little cafe a few blocks down. His banter, and the times when he felt comfortable enough to actually start talking about what he likes, his short snorts when he found something stupid but still slightly amusing.</p>
<p>It reminded them that the effort was worth it. Secretly they all thought that they would do the same for any of the other archival staff, if it had been different.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The first time they really see the more intense outcomes of this whole ‘experiment,’ was when Jon came out of his office and immediately smiled softly when he saw his assistants, before his brow furrowed, as if he was confused. He probably was, if they were being honest with themselves. But that smile was in fact one of their favorite things about this whole thing that had dug themselves into. </p>
<p>He came out three times a day, and even started to catch lunches with them, talking to them, but also listening intently. </p>
<p>In a blink he had started slowly taking better care of himself, and associating his assistants, no friends now, with the satisfaction of doing something nice for himself. </p>
<p>Tim had even started staying a bit later, just to try and convince Jon to go home early and go to bed. This was a bit harder than anything else, but Tim had a plan. His brain was used for more than just getting private information after all! He started whistling whenever it was time to leave, whistling loud enough that Jon could hear. </p>
<p>At first he wondered if it really did anything, but when he sometimes saw the tiny man taking a bag, and leaving office, locking up behind him, he could see the traces of his masterful work. Whistling meant going home. </p>
<p>There was no way for him to try and get Jon to go to bed, but he had gotten him out of the building! That counted for a lot, at least they all thought so.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jon looked up from his lunch, eyes set in a slight glare, before seeing Martin and immediately looking happier, then confused, then resigned. He had something he made at home today, and Martin hummed. </p>
<p>“That looks good Jon.” He says offhandedly, the past few months of being closer with Jon, Tim, and Sasha making it easier for him to speak his mind. </p>
<p>Jon looks up, and points to the mini-fridge, “I brought more than I need, anyone is free to it.”</p>
<p>Martin smiles, “Thank you that’s very kind of you.”</p>
<p>The compliment makes Jon look a great deal brighter, or maybe that was just the embarrassed blush he was trying to hide, something that Martin was excited to see. He wondered how it went from a tea break to then using psychological means to make a friend. It worked but it was quite a transition. Jon eats his lunch, before Martin takes the other box from the fridge and sits across from him. </p>
<p>“Did you make this yourself?” He asks, using a reusable set of cutlery that Sasha had bought them all for christmas.</p>
<p>Pushing his hair out of his face Jon nods, “Yes, my grandmother taught me this recipe.” </p>
<p>Martin gives a hum, “That’s nice, did she teach a lot of recipes?”</p>
<p>This ended up with a lunch break that lasted a little too long, while they talked about food. Trading homebrewed recipes, talking about sweets, and Jon even managing to get Martin to spill about his adventures in making bone broth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>--------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They had a revelation when finally getting Jon to start attending Friday night hangouts, though they knew full well that taking him drinking was a terrible idea. They did not want to get him drunk,and frankly he’s so tiny they could lose him very easily in a crowd. Jon also hated bars, so, ergo they were having a game night at Tim’s.</p>
<p>The first few games that had been pulled out were Sorry, Old Maid, and a singular round of Monopoly, which Sasha dominated at. They had ordered in food, and Jon was drinking a monster energy drink. Martin had almost cried when he saw the can, and Tim about pissed himself laughing at Martin’s flabbergasted face. </p>
<p>Jon had simply given a little bastard facial expression, taking a drink. </p>
<p>“Jon please tell me you don’t drink those often.” Sasha asked, through trying not to break apart laughing. </p>
<p>He simply shrugs, “A man has to have an energy boost, and coffee tastes terrible.”</p>
<p>“Jail. I’m going to put you in jail. You wont drink coffee but you’re gonna slam some vape juice in battery acid form?” Tim asked, faking scandalization.</p>
<p>“When coffee tastes like drinking electricity maybe I’ll like it. Until then, cheers.” Jon says, before laughing and sending them all into a state of shock. It was a real laugh, not one born of derisiveness, or skepticism. They all suddenly vowed to have their friend laugh like that again. </p>
<p>“Cards Against Humanity time!” Tim announced, much to the chagrin of everyone else in the room. </p>
<p>Surprisingly, that game got quite a few more genuine laughs from Jon. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasha sits at her desk. Martin and Tim were out doing something for work, and she was feeling… terrible. Not in the mood for anything. There was a movement, and she saw Jon walking over. He wasn’t smiling, but he did hold out her favorite food order from the deli. He offered it to her, with complete silence, not asking about anything. </p>
<p>Then he gave her a, slightly awkward but nonetheless kind, pat on the shoulder, “I hope you feel better soon. Uh. If you need anything I’m here for you. Or Tim and Martin if you don’t want to tell me.”</p>
<p>She smiles, and leans her head on his shoulder. He gives a small noise of confusion before stilling. Just being there. It was nice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tim had almost gotten into a fight during lunch, struggling to keep his temper under control, though instead of getting to drive his fist into someone's face, Jon had put a careful hand on his elbow. </p>
<p>“It’s not worth it Tim, he’s just a random prick, not worth going to jail for assault honestly.” He gave the guy the evil eye, glaring at him hard enough Tim’s sure there might have been lasers shooting out of his eyes.</p>
<p>Tim did not immediately calm down, but later Jon went onto his phone, did some research, and quietly left a few articles and resources on how to deal with and process anger in a healthy way on his desk. There was a sticky note attached, that read “I’m here if you need me, I’ll support you no matter what :]”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jon had been there for Martin after a particularly bad call with his mother, being there to hug Martin, and make tea that was not very good. He tried though, and that was greatly appreciated. Carefully sitting with Martin as he went through all the stages of grief once per second. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>---------</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They were all four out for a lunch break one day, when a sudden look of comprehension came over Jon’s face, a shocked but not angry expression making its way onto his face.</p>
<p>“Wait a minute.” He pauses, and they can see his ‘I’m not angry just disappointed’ face, “Did you three pavlov me?”</p>
<p>‘Oh shit. Oh God this is it. This is the end.’ The three around the table collectively gulp.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Friendship without Pavlov</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The good ending, with some spicy self loathing :3</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>So Jon hasn’t talked to them in any way but to tell them to do work, and tell them what file he needs. He was being exceptionally petty, giving them harder deadlines, and staying in his office so much that any progress they had made towards having him care for himself was now null and void. They think he stays in the archives more often than he goes home. </p><p>Martin looked at the stack of files that had been left on his desk before he got there, and put his face in his hands with a loud groan, closing his eyes and opening them to see the slight stain on the desk from a tea mug.</p><p>Tim looked over with a commiserating look, his desk just as stacked full of files and work, enough for a whole week worth of filing and follow up if Tim was trying to be diligent, “Yeah?”</p><p>“We fucked up.” Martin muttered, looking mournfully at the work, and then at Jon’s office door. That door had not opened for anything but reprimands.</p><p>There was a snort from Sasha who was stapling files together, “You can say that again.”</p><p>After Jon had that revelation he had stood up and yelled at the three of them about manipulating people, fuming and his voice cracking as he got to the end of his tangent, creating a scene that ended up with the owner coming out to tell him to leave. Jon had given them all one last glare that had an edge of something else in besides pure rage, then stalked away. He hasn’t looked any of them in the eye since, and it’s been a long and tense month in the archives. It wasn't like they could just forget what happened and move on, they had all felt bad.</p><p>Also it was hard to forget when anytime they see Jon he looks betrayed.</p><p>Anytime that they had tried to talk to him, apologize or anything, he will practically snarl at them to get back to work. He gets to work an hour before all of them, and wont leave until he knows they have all gone. </p><p> </p><p>Sasha chewed at her thumbnail as she tried to read through another article that had something to do with the case file open on her desk now. She sighed finally, staring at a bookshelf full of disheveled and messy boxes.  </p><p>“I’d say to leave him an apology gift but... “</p><p>Tim finishes for her, “He might think we’re trying to pavlov him again.”</p><p>“...yeah.” Sasha runs a hand through her hair, not a great habit of hers, when he hair was so thick, but the energy in the archives was starting to get them all into a tizz. </p><p>Martin takes a sip of his tea, and they all go quiet again, "He hates us."</p><p>"..."</p><p> </p><p>------</p><p> </p><p>Jon had realized it in the middle of lunch, and he went through all the stages of grief in seconds before he looked at the three around the table. He was horribly reminded of not being in control of himself, reminded of a certain book. They had been manipulating him, for months! He hadn’t even noticed because they all seemed so nice, they were his friends!</p><p>But were they really? Jon wondered as he stalked home to sit in his bed and try not to let his emotions get the most of him. Which had been a hard endeavor that hadn't even worked. Fruitless. It all crashed into him like a tidal wave of hurt. </p><p>Did they actually want to be his friend or was this is just an experiment, why would they want anything to do with him? Were they trying to see how long they could go before he noticed? They were surely laughing at him now, he thought, as he turned his phone to silent. They had gone behind his back, for how long? He thought he could trust them.</p><p>He could trace the beginning of it to that day in the archives, when he went outside to see Sasha in the breakroom. He was getting water, and she offered him chocolate. His favorite that he could never make the same as her grandmother, it had gotten a bit more after that. The tea, the chocolate, the whistling, the compliments. </p><p>Jon threw off his cardigan and unbuttoned his shirt to put on a sleep shirt, curling up in a little ball under a mound of blankets, deciding that this weekend would be dedicated to him sitting and understanding what happened. Nothing explained it to him, and maybe that's why he was so angry about it. Confusion only served to fire up his emotions more.</p><p>Monday came around much too early, he knew. It was hard to see Sasha walk into the breakroom. He fought the smile that came to his face, as he saw a friendly face- maybe… No. Jon rushed to his office, not making eye contact with any of them. Something about seeing them made his stomach do weird sad twirls. A subconscious need to smile, to please his friends enough that they would reward him with their presence. He shook his head, not ready to sound like such a domesticated house pet. </p><p>As days go by he realizes how much had changed. </p><p>He had taken to eating in his office, bringing his own lunch and keeping it with him so that he wouldn't have to leave his office. He got a lot more work done when he didn't take as many breaks, he told himself, even as he slightly yearned to go back and drink tea with Martin, or argue about spicy foods with Tim, or gossip with Sasha about anything. </p><p>He looks around at the dusty office and feels tired suddenly. </p><p>Still he shook his head, continuing to working, even as he heard Tim outside his office. He stayed later, Jon noticed, when they decided to experiment on him. Whistling he found, now made him want to leave his office, go home, made the exhaustion easier to pinpoint. Though Tim did not whistle anymore, even as he stayed later anyway. Jon didn’t react to it, tried not to leave his office and yell at Tim. </p><p>Of course he had taken back to his old habit of yelling at them about any little thing. It was easier to not get hurt if he was hypervigilant and kept up higher walls than Jericho. </p><p>Its not like anyone would actually like him, or be his friend without actually having bad intentions. He wondered what they were trying to achieve sometimes, when he stayed up much too late and pretty much skipped going home to read more statements. </p><p>It took a while for him to start finding something strange. Even as another month of solitary anger, he found how strange it was. What would they get out of complimenting him, learning his favorite food, making him tea, or letting him infodump, or playing board games because they knew he hated bars. </p><p>For some reason that was enough to bring him out of his two month self-isolation. </p><p>He took a deep breath, and left his office.</p><p> </p><p>------</p><p> </p><p>Sasha, Martin, and Tim all looked up when they heard the door open. Jon walked out of his office and was looking at them all with some mixture of confusion and annoyance. He looked almost nervous. They waited patiently, for a reprimand, or maybe more work?</p><p>Jon clears his throat, “I have a question.” His voice was gruff.</p><p>Tim looks at him and then back down at his hands, “Shoot boss.”</p><p>“Why go through all of that mess. It doesn’t make sense. What did you think you’d get out of manipulating me? Where you experimenting? Was it fun?” Jon sounded more angry as he spoke, a betrayed look still staple on his face. </p><p>Martin was the one to answer, “Jon we weren't expecting anything. We wanted you to take care of yourself, and we wanted to be your friends. It wasn’t- we wouldn’t- we didn’t want to take advantage of you or anything, we just… worried about you.”</p><p>Jon gave a derisive and disbelieving snort, “Why, I’m your boss, I can’t offer you anything.”</p><p>Tim finally snaps, “because we cared about you idiot! We wanted to be your friend because you always shut yourself in and when you were open with us we enjoyed hanging out with you! How hard is that to believe Jon? That we weren’t using you we wanted you to take care of yourself!”</p><p> He looks taken aback and looks to think, “But… if you just wanted to be friends, then why treat me like a dog and use tea like treats, like I'm an animal! It just doesn’t make sense. It hurts!”</p><p>Sasha looked a bit sadly at him, “you’re right we shouldn’t have done that. But we actually like you for you Jon.”</p><p>Jon looks at the three of them, and finally lets the words take root in his thoughts. It was hard to accept that anyone would want to just be his friend, he was annoying, he's been told. He's hard to get along with.</p><p>“We’re sorry.” Tim says softly, “ we really are.”</p><p>Martin nods, as does Sasha. As his eyes look over the assistants again, he nodded. </p><p>Martin takes a chance, “If it’s alright we can all try to be friends the normal way?”</p><p>Jon thinks this over, a few seconds going by tensely, and finally he nods and gives a very weak smile, “Ok. I still expect you to do your work.”</p><p>This causes an unexpected laugh from Tim, and the other three laugh with him, and Jon leaves to his office once more. </p><p> </p><p>----</p><p>Everything worked out well enough, Tim thinks, as he watches his friends all sit around making fun of terrible American TV on the couch. They cuddled together, the four of them. Martin was drinking tea, Sasha and Jon were sharing popcorn. </p><p>It had taken a bit for them all to get close again, but Jon slowly grew back to trust them, even going to tease them, being petty as often as he could. Asking to to get him a box from the high shelf because they have conditioned him, he was teasing though, a smug bastard look on his face as Tim went to get the box. </p><p>“Jon can I have some popcorn?” Tim asks, holding out his hand. Jon raised a brow.</p><p>“No I don't think so, unless you get off me so i can get a drink.”</p><p>Tim gives an exaggerated sigh, “But my bony pillow!”</p><p>Martin laughs, “what do you want Jon, I’ll get it.”</p><p>“Thank you Martin, he's the only one who gets a raise.” Jon said in his faux serious voice that made them all laugh, even as a smile broke through his false professionalism talk. Tim steals the popcorn bowl while Jon is distracted by Martin and laughs as both Jon and Sasha reach for it back.</p>
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